Two birds of a feather
by Windfighter
Summary: Tuuri and Onni are running from the police, but little did Onni know he would soon learn just how dangerous the Silent World could be.


"Tuuri! Tuuri, wait!"

Onni almost slipped in Tuuri's old shoes. He still hadn't grown into them. Tuuri stopped and waved to him.

"Onni, hurry! You don't want the police to catch us, do you?"

Onni quickly kicked the shoes off his feet and took them in his hand instead, hurried after his brother. Tuuri grabbed his hand and pulled him along between the houses. People stopped in their daily activities to look after the Hotakainen brothers, but went back to what they were doing when the two had disappeared. Onni looked at his brother as he ran after him. He was so tall and the sunlight made his light hair shine. Tuuri always took good care of his hair, but tried his best to pretend he didn't care.

"Tuuri, they're getting closer."

Tuuri looked over his shoulder and lifted his younger brother onto his back.

"We have to hurry. You still have the goods?"

Onni nodded and showed Tuuri the rocks he had put in his pocket. Tuuri smile towards him and started running. It went faster now that he didn't have to drag Onni along. Onni's tiny arms grabbed around Tuuri's throat, but Tuuri didn't say anything. Onni wouldn't fall off this way.

"We're going to the farm, we'll be safe there."

Onni nodded. The farm wasn't really a farm, although it probably had been at some point. It was a big house that laid abandoned in the outer parts of the town, still within the cleansed areas but close to the border. Kids in Tuuri's age used to go there, testing their nerves, betting on who would dare to stay the longest. Tuuri was often there with his classmates and Onni had begged Tuuri several times to bring him along, but it wasn't safe for a four year-old.

Tuuri let Onni down when they reached the house and Onni rushed up the tiny stair and tried to open the door. It was locked. Tuuri smiled at him.

"We have to enter through the window."

Onni nodded and ran around the house, looking for the window Tuuri was talking about. When Onni came back to the front side Tuuri had opened one of the windows next to the door. Tuuri helped him inside before crawling after him through the window, looked at him as he looked around the house. Some furnitures laid broken, stacked against the walls, covered in dust. The sofa was the only dustfree thing, instead covered in foodstains after the kids that had stayed in there. Tuuri pulled the curtains down, so no one could spot them from the outside and Onni continued his search through the house with Tuuri following him. When he tried to go to the upper floor he was stopped by his brother.

"It's not safe, the floor is rotten up there."

Onni nodded, making sure to follow his brother's orders. Instead he went back to the livingroom they had entered in, peeked through the curtains.

"No police!"

"Good job, little brother!"

Tuuri ruffled his hair and he beamed at him. He took the stones out of his pocket again, carefully laid them on the floor. Both brothers settled down, examined their catch.

"Mother will be proud of what we've found. You did good, Onni."

Onni picked up the prettiest rock and weighted it in his hand. It was the size of his palm, white as snow, ground round and smooth by the passing waves. He closed his fingers around it and pulled it closer.

"I want to give her this one."

Tuuri smiled as Onni put the rock in his pocket again. Then he placed a finger against his lips, gesturing for his younger brother to be quiet. Onni put both hands above his mouth, so no sound would escape him, and watched as Tuuri slowly went up to the window and peeked out again.

"Perkele. Onni, they've found us. We have to escape through the back."

Tuuri pulled his younger brother to his feet, leading him through the house.

"We can't let them see us, they'll put us in jail."

"I don't wanna go to jail!"

"Hush. I know, I won't let them take you. Come on, in here."

Tuuri opened the door to what used to be a kitchen. The walls were scorched, the cupboards broken, but still storing a few cans. Onni almost stopped, eager to see what was in the cans, but Tuuri pulled him to the window, helped him out through it, quickly jumped after. The nettles stung against their feet, their legs, but neither of the brothers made a sound. They hurried to the trees, stuck to the outer parts of the town and quickly closed the door behind them once they arrived to the safety of their home.

"Moooom!" Onni hurried into the house, calling out for his mother. "Mom, we found a treasure, but the police didn't want us to have it and they followed us, but Tuuri showed me a hiding place and we hid, but they found us and there were nettles and I've brought a gift!"

He pulled the white rock out of the pocket and gave it to his mother, who kneeled infront of him, accepting the gift.

"It's beautiful, Onni, thank you."

She pulled him into a hug and he put his arms around her, before putting one of his hands in the other pocket, feeling around for the other rocks they found. His eyes teared up when he found it empty and he pulled himself away from his mother, turned to Tuuri, who ruffled his hair.

"Another allergy reaction, Onni?"

"I forgot the treasures!"

Tuuri smiled towards Onni, laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, little brother, I'll go get them."

"Can I come along?"

Onni looked hopeful, but Tuuri shook his head.

"Sorry, it's too dangerous now that it's dark outside. And anyway it's bedtime for you now. Don't worry, I'll be back before you miss me."

Onni took Tuuri's hand, squeezed it and nodded before releasing his grip. Tuuri ruffled his hair once more, stretched and turned to their mother.

"I know you don't like me being out this late, but I'll be back in ten minutes or so."

"I couldn't hold you in even if I tried."

Their mother smiled sadly and lifted Onni, gave Tuuri a quick hug.

"Make sure you come back. Your father told me trolls has been spotted outside the borders. He's out there with the hunters now."

"Don't worry."

Tuuri smiled, pulled his shoes back on and slipped out the door again. Onni yawned and his mother cradled him, put him in his bed and tucked him in. He fell asleep listening to her singing and when he opened his eyes again he was near a mountain ina forest. He settled down, played with the rocks and spoke words meant for no one but the owl inside his heart. He didn't know how long he had been there, time in the spirit realm worked differently but still the same. He heard wings flapping over the sky and got up, clenching his hands.

"Onni."

A grey heron entered his area and landed infront of him. Onni looked at it and it lowered its head, letting Onni touch it. Its feathers were ruffled, large wounds covered its body and one of its legs was missing. Tears welled up in Onnis eyes and he wrapped his arms around it, and it laid its head on Onni's back, trying to comfort the crying boy.

"Are you allergic to feathers now, Onni?"

"I'll come get you. Wait for me, I'll save you."

"It's too late for me. Onni, take care of mother and father for me."

"You can't leave me!"

Onni hugged the heron harder, a yelp escaping the bird's beak, and then its leg gave out under him, causing both of them to fall down.

"I'll come save you, Tuuri. Wait for me."

"Stay with me, Onni. Please, don't wake up."

Onni buried his face in the heron's wing.

"I have to find you, Tuuri."

The feeling of feathers in his hands slowly disappeared, and Onni settled up in his bed, got up on his feet, and was pulled into a hug by his mother. Tears were streaming down her face and he couldn't hold his own tears back. He tried to break free from her grip, knew he had to go save his brother, but she was stronger than him, his four year old body not yet having built enough muscles to fight. Instead he grabbed on to her shirt, buried his face into her chest and cried.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Onni's father came with the news in the morning. A troll had broken past their defenses, found the farm. They didn't think anyone would be in there, but then they heard the scream. Tuuri's body had been found in the living room, squished under a troll, with rotten planks from the upper floor spread around them.

Neither Onni nor his mother cried when they heard the news. There was no more tears to cry. His father laid some rocks on the table and Onni reached out for them.

"He had these in his pockets when he was found..."

Onni took one of the rocks, put it in his pocket. Their treasure. The police found Tuuri after all. He hugged the rock in his hand. His father looked at him and Onni looked away.

"The mages have guided him to Tuonela already, they feared he would turn into a kade otherwise, but... the funeral will be held on Friday."

Onni's mother nodded and put an arm over Onni's shoulders. Onni didn't look at her.

"He... he wanted me to stay."

Neither of his parents said anything and Onni hugged the stone harder.

"He wanted me to stay and I refused."

Tears formed in his eyes again. His mother pulled him closer.

"It would have been my fault if he turned. I refused his last request."

"No, Onni. Tuuri would have forgiven you. He knew you had his best in mind." She dried his tears with her thumb. "You were the best thing in his life, he would never hold a grudge against you, you know that."

Onni sniffled, nodded. His father got up, laid a hand on his shoulder, but didn't say anything. They looked at eachother and after a couple seconds his father pulled the hand back.

"I need to get back to work. It'll be late today, so don't stay up waiting for me."

Onni's mother nodded and his father grabbed his coat and went outside. Onni looked after him, felt his mother hugging his shoulder and then he pulled free from her grip.

"...going to sleep."

"You didn't get much rest during the night, did you? Sleep well, Onni. You want me to sing for you?"

He shook his head, left the kitchen and hid under his blanket, closing his eyes. Prayed that Tuuri would be there when he opened them, that everything was just a joke to teach him how dangerous the Silent World could be, but there was no heron there when he opened his eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Onni felt the baby kick in his mother's stomach. She smiled at him.

"I think she likes you. Talk to her."

Onni blushed and looked away and his mother laughed, laid a hand over her stomach.

"Don't worry, sweetie, Onni hasn't talked to anyone for a couple years now. But I'm sure he will talk to you once you come out."

Onni looked back at her mother, his feet dangling from the chair and kicking the bed where his mother laid. She laid her other hand on Onni's head and smiled.

"Are you still worrying that we'll forget about you with the new baby? Don't worry, Onni. I've told you she'll require a lot of attention, but we'll always have time for you too."

Onni's father peeked in, looked at his wife.

"Is it time yet?"

"Any minute now."

Onni kicked his mother's bed again and his father pulled his chair back.

"Behave, Onni. You'll be a big brother soon, you can't behave anyway you like anymore."

Onni looked away, and his father turned towards his mother again. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead a scream came over her lips and she grabbed her husband's arm. He turned to Onni, noticeable paler in his face.

"Onni, go fetch the midwife. Tell her it's time!"

Onni nodded, quickly jumped down from the chair and ran down the stairs. He found the midwife in the kitchen, grabbed her skirt and pulled her in the direction of his mother's room. She patted him, pulled away from his grip and grabbed some towels and a bag before hurrying up. Onni followed her, but his father covered his eyes while his baby sister was being born.

"It's nothing for kids to witness."

And then, he heard her scream. Careful at first, testing out her lungs, and then it got louder. His father pulled his hand away again and Onni looked as his mother pulled the girl to her breast, feed her. He slowly moved closer, looked at the girl in his mother's arm. When she was done feeding her, she handed her to Onni. He looked down at his little sister, poked her with his free hand and he grabbed his finger.

"What do you think we should call her?"

Onni looked at his sister, looked at his mother, and then back at his sister. She was round, the total opposit of his older brother, and he swallowed.

"Tuuri. Call her Tuuri."

Mother and father exchanged glances, looked at their son. Tears formed in his mother's eyes and she pulled him close.

"Are you sure?"

Onni nodded, turned to the child in his arms.

"This time, Tuuri, I'll protect you."


End file.
